Liquid cooler



Aug' 5, 1940 f J. D; THAYER 2,210,513

LIQUID COOLER Filed Feb. 8. 1939 Patented Aug.y 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,210,513 LIQUID cooLER Application February 8, l1939, Serial No. 255,211

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in liquid coolers, and particularly to devices for cooling beer, fountain drinks, or other liquids in a liquid circulating or supply system.

Heretofore it has been conventional practice to interpose pipe coils, adapted to be placed in a rcfrigerating area, in a liquid supply system. rIhis prior arrangement `has various disadvantages, chief among which are the necessity for permanence of an installation, and the lack of access for cleaning.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which is easy to clean, simple to install, and which can readily be mounted in desired position.

A further object is to provide a device of this character wherein a liquid may be cooled and from which the coldest liquid is automatically selected for discharge.

A further object is to provide a device of `this character comprising a sealed container having spaced intake and outlet means and divided into a plurality of vertical compartments by partitions which have oir-set openings therein at their lower ends and which separate said intake and outlet, whereby liquid is directed in a circuitous flow and positively cooled before it reaches the outlet, and the coldest liquid in the container is automatically selected for discharge at the out- 3() let by virtue of the arrangement of the parts of the device.

A further object is to provide a liquid cooler comprising a chamber open at its top and having a normally sealed removable cover which receives and mounts intake and outlet conduits for removal with said cover.

A further object is to provide a device of this character comprising a container and a cover formed of pottery, and a metal framework fitting around the container to serve as mounting means therefor and to carry means to lock the cover in place.

Other objects will be apparent from the description and the appended claim.

1n the drawing:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view taken on line l--I of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral IG designates a container which is preferably formed of pottery, but which may be formed of metal or other suitable material if desired. Container Ill comprises side walls II and bottom I2, and is open at its top. A marginal '1"' flange I3 projects outwardly from the upper open end of the container. A plurality of spaced parallel vertical partitions I4 .extend transversely of the container, and the upper edges thereof pref- 5H erably lie in the plane of the upper edges of side walls II and flanges I3. Partitions I4 serve to divide the container into compartments, there being an intake compartment I5 at one end, an outlet compartment i6 at the opposite end, and 10 a plurality of intermediate compartments I'I therebetween. An opening I8 is formed in each partition I4, adjacent, openings being arranged in staggered relation at the lower corners of said partitions, as best illustrated in Fig. 2. 1 5

A cover plate I9, of a size and shape correspending to the outline of the outer edges of anges I3, is formed of pottery or other suitable material. A gasket 2i) of any suitable material is interposed between the container and cover, 20 said gasket preferably corresponding in shape to the plan 4outline of the container flanges and partitions to seal the device at the container walls, and to form a seal between the cover and the upper end of each partition I4. 25

A metal basket construction ilts around coni tainer I t, said construction preferably comprising a plurality of strips of metal having their intermediate portions 2I extending across the bottom of the container, and their end portions 22 .ex- 30 tending upwardly along the sides of the container and terminating in bent journals 23 in spaced relation below the container top. A metal strip 2li extending around the sides of the container is secured to and interconnects the end portions 35 22 of said iirst named strips. Bolts 25 are pivctally mounted by the journals 23 and are adapted to extend vertically in adjacent parallel relation to the container sides. The edges of container flanges I3 and of cover I9 are cut away 40 to receive the upper ends of bolts 25, whereby thumb nuts 26 threaded on said bolts may bear upon the upper face of cover I9 to press the same to effect a seal with the container.

A pair of apertures are formed in cover I9 to 45 receive an intake conduit 2'I and an outlet conduit 23, said conduits having collars 29 adapted to press gasket rings 30 against the inner face of the cover when nuts 3i, overlying gasket rings 32 at the outer face of the cover are tightened. The inner ends of conduits 21 and 28 terminate adjacent the bottom l2 ofthe container, and are positioned in compartments I5 and I6 respectively, and preferably at the end thereof opposite the 55 end in which the opening I8 in the adjacent partition I 4 is formed, as best illustrated in Fig. 2.

The container is preferably provided with a drain outlet, for which purpose the bottom I2 is provided with an opening at the outlet compartment to receive a drain conduit 33. -As illustrated in Fig. l, the opening is enlarged at its inner end to receive an enlarged end 34 of said conduit, and a gasket 35 underlying said enlarged end. The upper end of conduit 33 lies flush with or below the inner surface of the container bottom to facilitate drainage. A nut 36 pressed against a gasket 31 exteriorly of the container serves to seal the conduit. A suitable valve 38 is interposed in drain conduit 33.

The operation of the device is as follows: The container ill, with its cover I 9 applied thereto in sealed relation, is disposed in a refrigerated area, as in an ice chamber or adjacent the cooling unit of a refrigerator. The container may be supported in any suitable manner, as for instance, suspended by means of supports engaging the basket construction. The drain conduit 33 is connected with or positioned adjacent to a suitable drain outlet in the refrigerator. The intake and outlet conduits 2l, 28 are suitably connected in a liquid supply system (not shown) closely adjacent to the outlet of said system, as adjacent the tap or faucet. The container is then illed with the liquid to be cooled. As the liquid in the container cools, the coldest thereof in each compartment passes to the bottom, so that in a short time after conditioning the device for operation, the liquid to be drawn through outlet conduit will be cooled as desired. As liquid is drawn from the device, and uncooled liquid is supplied at intake conduit 21, the coldest liquid in each compartment being lowermost therein by virtue of convection, flows to the next succeeding compartment through passage I8 between the compartments. By reason of this action, the liquid reaching the outlet compartment I6 has passed through several cooling stages, and has automatically been selected as the coldest liquid in the device. In consequence the device operates on a principle of selected iiow, rather than pumped or forced direct flow as in a coil, and

hence assured improved and more positive cooling action, which is particularly desirable in bar and fountain uses. It will also be observed that, by Virtue of the sealed condition of the container, the liquid entering the device during lling will compress the air therein, whereby the liquid in the container is always under a head of pressure substantially equal to that'of the, source of liquid supply, and the liquid assumesl a level substantially below the top of the container.

To clean the device, it is only necessary to remove the cover I9, thus exposing the entire interior of the device and rendering it accessible to brushes or other cleaning implements. The provision of drain conduit 33 permits the use of soap or other cleaning compound which can be drained' and flushed from the device, without danger of being trapped by precipitation thereof to cause contamination of liquid subsequently supplied to the container.

' As will be obvious, the metal basket construction may be engaged by hooks or the like for the purpose of suspending the apparatus in desired position in a refrigerator.

vWhile the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, the invention is susceptible of many obvious changes, as in respect to materials employed, individual structural details, and the like; and may be made up in integral multiple cooling units, while retaining the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A liquid cooler comprising a container having a bottom and sides, a plurality of spaced vertical partitions dividing said container into compartments, each partition having an opening therein at its bottom, the openings in adjacent partitions being located in staggered relation, a removable cover sealing said container whereby lling of the container with liquid traps a gas pressure head at the upper end of the container, and intake and outlet conduits mounted by and projecting through said cover to terminate adjacent to the container bottom, said conduits being separated by said partitions.

JOHN D. THAYER. 

